Why Used Cooking Oil Isn’t Enough to Make Aviation Sustainable

Producing jet fuel from used cooking oil or crops is more sustainable than burning kerosene, but the industry warns it is not a long-term solution to decarbonizing aviation.

Reducing its carbon footprint is a growing concern for the sector, which generates around 2.5 per cent of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure to limit its impact on the climate.

The fastest way to cut emissions is to move away from kerosene, a fossil fuel, toward sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)—an alternative made from non-oil feedstocks that doesn’t require a technological revolution in airframes and engines. But concerns are growing that the world won’t be able to produce enough green jet fuel to meet demand.

“It is highly unlikely that the UK will be able to produce as many SAFs as it needs,” said Antony Henderson, head of international and trade policy for low-carbon fuels at the UK Department for Transport, speaking at a POLITICO event at last week’s Farnborough International Airshow.